Business

The ACT Budget Arrives for 2010-11

The big news is that the improving financial situation has meant the feared cuts appear not to have eventuated.

Speech Summary

— The net operating balance for 2010-11 is a deficit of $83.9 million.
— Surplus of $54.2 million expected for 2009-10.
— Return to surplus target brought in by two years to 2013-14.
— $48 million worth of savings in the last year.
— Further savings will be achieved through a number of targeted actions including the application of an efficiency dividend across government, wages restraint, reduction in the provision for unforseen expenditure (Treasurer’s advance)
— Increases to fees and charges in this Budget.
— Parking fees will increase
— Increasing some activities and corresponding fees to cover costs.
— Additional revenue is expected through improved compliance with the Change of Use Charge (to leasehold land).
— Borrowings of up to $450 million are included in the Budget to partially fund the
infrastructure program.
— New expenditure initiatives total around $238 million over four years.

Health
— The ACT health budget will exceed one billion dollars for the first time.
— 800 additional elective surgery operations will be performed in 2010-11.— $10.5 million is provided in 2010-11 to increase capacity within the Intensive
Care Unit at the Canberra Hospital.
— Two new High Dependency beds at Calvary Hospital are also being funded through $11.4 million over four years.
— Mental health services in the ACT will receive an extra $4.2 million over the next four years.
— Home and Community Care is receiving additional funding of $9.5 million to assist frail older people and younger people with a disability to remain at home rather than entering an aged care or other residential facility.

Education and Training
— The Swimming and Water Survival Skills initiative provides additional funding of $300,000 over four years for swimming lessons for primary school children who would not normally be able to participate.
— Forward design will be undertaken for Franklin Early Childhood, Molonglo Primary and Bonner Primary Schools.
— Funding of $5.3 million is also allocated to expand the Red Hill Primary School.
— A second gymnasium court is being funded at Harrison High School, with $2 million in 2011-12.
— An independent, statutory ACT Teacher Quality Institute is being established with $3.9 million in funding over four years.

Transport
— $97 million funding package for all modes of transport.
— New roads, transit ways, bus frequency and bus stations, road safety, new
pedestrian and cycle paths, real-time passenger information, and park/bike-and-ride facilities.
— Network 10 will commence in October 2010 and Network 11 in July 2011, with $6.1 million over four years in funding.
— The REDEX pilot service is being incorporated into the permanent ACTION network.
— Three new major bus stations are also funded, including around $1.7 million for Gungahlin, $3.2 million for Erindale and $100,000 for a Barton bus station feasibility study.
— Installation of up to 50 bus shelters.
— New Park and Ride facilities at EPIC and Erindale.
— $12.5 million in funding for a Real Time Passenger Information System.
— An additional $600,000 over four years recurrent funding has been provided to operate the system which monitors the location of buses and displays this information at major stations.
— Bus priority lanes will be introduced on Canberra Avenue with funding of $8.2 million over four years and on Northbourne Avenue,
— A major bus station in Dickson.
— Funding of $7.3 million over two years also provides for Stage 1 of a transit way between the City and the ANU and minor bus priority works at the intersection of Haydon Drive and College Street.
— $1 million for walking and cycling infrastructure
— $3.5 million for path lighting in the city.
— $1 million will upgrade the intersection at Phillip and Majura Avenue in Hackett.
— $7.2 million is provided to upgrade the Cotter Road between Tuggeranong Parkway and Yarra Glen.
— $7 million to upgrade the intersection at Barry Drive and Clunies Ross Street.
— $2.4 million over three years has also been provided for variable message signs.

Community Services
— $2.4 million over two years to better support people with profound or severe disabilities.
— Support of $425,000 over four years is also being provided for families with autistic children.
— The ACT will be the first jurisdiction to require people working with children and vulnerable people to be checked for criminal and other offences.
— Increase the Energy Concession by $20, raising the maximum household concession to $214.87 per annum.
— An additional $5.7 million over four years has been provided to support the increasing number of children who need to be provided with out of home care.
— Additional funding of $7.1 million over four years for the ongoing operations of the Bimberi Youth Detention Centre.
— $100,000 over two years to research and compile the genealogies and family histories for each of the acknowledged traditional Aboriginal clans in the Territory.
— The former Flynn school site is being redeveloped as a childcare centre, accommodating up to 120 places at a cost of $4 million.

Infrastructure, Land Development and Capital Works
— $8 million over four years to increase the supply of land ready for release.
— Funding of $17 million is provided to construct two ponds in the new suburb of Coombs.
— More than $22 million over four years has been allocated for additional repairs and maintenance.
— The new Gungahlin Library will be established with funding of $2.9 million over four years for new stock and improved provision of Internet access.
— $130,000 for technical investigations into commercial and industrial land supply options, including in the Eastern Broadacre area.
— $1.8 million to support Canberra’s growing digital media, film and television production industry through an ACT Film Industry Fund.

Community Safety and Justice
— $5.1 million over four years to provide an additional 10 police offi cers to strengthen enforcement of liquor licensing, and also introducing a risk-based approach and mandatory Responsible Service of Alcohol training.
— $4.1 million over four years will fund an Automated Number Plate Recognition team. This establishes an ACT Policing team to identify unregistered, uninsured or stolen vehicles.
— The ACT Ambulance Service is supported, with $5.1 million over four years for additional clinical support and communication centre staff.
— New court facilities are being established in the Magistrates Court with $1.1 million over four years and $1.6 million over four years allocated for an acting Judge and support staff.
— The Legal Aid Commission has been allocated funding of $785,000 over four years for youth law services, and $194,000 over four years to engage an Indigenous Liaison Officer.

Climate Change and Sustainability
— The Government is increasing its uptake of renewable energy from 30 per cent to 32.5 per cent.
— The capacity and landfill cell life of the Mugga Lane Resource Management Centre will be increased with funding of $4.4 million for capital works and around $1.8 million over four years to explore future feasibility options at the facility.
— An additional $1 million over two years provides for a trial of bulky waste pickup.
— $335,000 over two years for resource recovery market development.
— $11.5 million for stormwater harvesting projects on Ginninderra Creek at Gungahlin and at Molonglo,
— A Wood Heater Survey and Educational Awareness Campaign is being funded with $100,000, and will encourage people to use less polluting systems.

Tourism, Culture and Sport
— more than $22.6 million for the National Arboretum Canberra to develop visitor facilities and additional forest plantings with a particular focus on the planned Centenary of Canberra celebrations in 2013.
— $1.9 million over four years will be invested to support Floriade and the continuation of the NightFest.
— $100,000 to commission an Australian composer to write music for the Canberra Symphony Orchestra for the Centenary.
— $6.5 million over four years for complementary infrastructure work at the Gungahlin Wellbeing Precinct.
— Sporting facilities upgrades including the Lyneham Precinct, the Canberra Stadium, Manuka Oval, and Narrabundah Ball Park and funding is provided for design for the Belconnen Skate Park, Gungahlin Leisure Centre and Throsby Multisport Complex.

It is not right to be spending on new suburbs when they are not looking after what they already have in their care.

That is my issue. $17 million dollars on 2 ponds, how about $17 million on mental health and $4.2 million on 2 ponds over 4 years…

They are not comparable in simple terms like that. You cannot build ponds over 4 years, simple as that. As for the land, you could debate till your red in the face about whether we need new suburbs, but I think one quick look at the current state of the housing market will clearly show that demand is there and even with the new suburbs coming on-line we actually need even more land.

As eluded to previously, the ponds are actually water treatment ponds, not just pretty holes in the ground that attract ducks and carp. And if it makes you feel any better, if you read the actual budget summary the 17mil will be spent over 2 years. Just imagine the revenue the Govt will receive in land sales during those 2 years.

It is not right to be spending on new suburbs when they are not looking after what they already have in their care.

That is my issue. $17 million dollars on 2 ponds, how about $17 million on mental health and $4.2 million on 2 ponds over 4 years…

They are not comparable in simple terms like that. You cannot build ponds over 4 years, simple as that. As for the land, you could debate till your red in the face about whether we need new suburbs, but I think one quick look at the current state of the housing market will clearly show that demand is there and even with the new suburbs coming on-line we actually need even more land.

The description of a budget consisting of not much is a fairly good one. If you remove the Health funding which is almost entirely funded by the Commonwealth and all the “initatives” that are for forward years and not 2010-11, it doesn’t leave a lot.

Why is more than $22.6 million being spent on the Arboretum for tree plantings and a visitors building when there has been minimal spending in disability and community services, only 2 new ambulance paramedics and a few extra police officers which will hardly boost numbers to the needed levels.

Another $2.4 million in “variable message signs”? and why does a feasibility study for bus and cycle lanes cost $4.5 million? I think I’ll put my name down for the consultancy for that project. I distinctly remember Katy saying the Government wanted to show restraint in their spending, none of these look anything remotely like restraint.

– Funding of $17 million is provided to construct two ponds in the new suburb of Coombs.

– Mental health services in the ACT will receive an extra $4.2 million over the next four

years.

– Two new High Dependency beds at Calvary Hospital are also being funded through $11.4 million over four years.

– The ACT Ambulance Service is supported, with $5.1 million over four years for additional clinical support and communication centre staff.

I know I am cherry picking but $17 million for 2 ponds……..in a suburb no one is living in????

You couldn’t make this stuff up..

The ponds, like all the other ponds around Canberra, plus lake Ginninderra and Tuggeranong are for stormwater run off, so are needed BEFORE houses are built and people move in. So not too sure what the issue is.

DTC – parking costs vary depending on where in Civic you park. My partner parks down near the Reid CIT campus as it was cheaper. My partner has to drive to work as we have kids that we need to drop off in the morning and pick up in the afternoon, as well as getting them to after school activities.

Amarooresident3 – I have no issue with the Gungahlin Drive Extension being built apart from the fact that they should have done it properly in the first place and duplicated it, which would mean that I wouldn’t be sitting in a traffic jam every morning now as the road would have been finished and would have cost a lot less which would mean that other costs wouldn’t have to go up.

Jim Jones – my point is that the Stanhope Government is taking the easy road by not really looking at what they can do within their budget to curb costs – instead they are making the rest of us pay for their mistakes. I have no problem with the Government spending money where they need to, but I fail to understand why the GDE wasn’t built properly in the first instance and why we need to spend $3m to open the Arboretum! I can’t stand wasteful spending in any form! And NO, I am DEFINITELY NOT Barnaby Joyce, my partner will think this is a hilarious comparison though.

– Funding of $17 million is provided to construct two ponds in the new suburb of Coombs.

– Mental health services in the ACT will receive an extra $4.2 million over the next four

years.

– Two new High Dependency beds at Calvary Hospital are also being funded through $11.4 million over four years.

– The ACT Ambulance Service is supported, with $5.1 million over four years for additional clinical support and communication centre staff.

I know I am cherry picking but $17 million for 2 ponds……..in a suburb no one is living in????

You couldn’t make this stuff up..

The ponds, like all the other ponds around Canberra, plus lake Ginninderra and Tuggeranong are for stormwater run off, so are needed BEFORE houses are built and people move in. So not too sure what the issue is.

WONDERUL Budget Stanhope – thanks for all the extra charges I am going to pay!!

I have already noticed the registration on both my cars is $100 extra EACH per year. My partner’s parking in the city will increase by $1.50 a day (which means that in 24 months parking has gone from $5 per day to $7.50 per day). My rates have risen. Driving to work from the heights of Gungahlin takes and hour and a half.

Here’s an idea for Katy and Jon – STOP SPENDING MONEY!!!! When I don’t have enough money for the things I want I can’t just take it from my employer… I have to save and plan. Why don’t they do the same thing??

My partner’s parking in the city will increase by $1.50 a day (which means that in 24 months parking has gone from $5 per day to $7.50 per day)

Actually arent Civic parking fees going up to $10.50 per day (from $9?). Which, given that they were $7.50 this time last year, is a pretty impressive increase. I guess the Citywest parking fee of $13 starts to look not totally unreasonable

(and people start commenting: yes, you can catch the bus. Yes, you can park and walk. Yes you can share a car. Yes some people have no choice but to drive. Yes its cheaper than most major cities, but then again Canberra is really just a town. And, as I ride to work, I dont particularly care)

WONDERUL Budget Stanhope – thanks for all the extra charges I am going to pay!!

I have already noticed the registration on both my cars is $100 extra EACH per year. My partner’s parking in the city will increase by $1.50 a day (which means that in 24 months parking has gone from $5 per day to $7.50 per day). My rates have risen. Driving to work from the heights of Gungahlin takes and hour and a half.

Here’s an idea for Katy and Jon – STOP SPENDING MONEY!!!! When I don’t have enough money for the things I want I can’t just take it from my employer… I have to save and plan. Why don’t they do the same thing??

$100k to work out where to put a bus station in Barton? That’ll be the easiest 100k a consultant has ever earned.

It will go something like this. Consultant says to NCA “is there a suitable site available in Barton?” NCA says “Of course there is. It’s called the carpark at Bowen Park, but you’ll have to get rid of that pesky caravan selling food people like.” “No probs” says the ACT gov “we’ll do anything to get people out of their cars and into our inefficient bus system! Look what we are doing with parking – even though we are $50 mill better off we’ll still put up parking – without actually spending a cent to provide any more parking… “